There is a continuing need for prime movers to supply rotational power for both mobile and stationary applications. Internal combustion and steam power plants are available for such purposes, but existing power plants have disadvantages which are becoming increasingly more important with the passage of time. Piston driven internal combustion engines and turbine designs conventionally employ petroleum products as fuels. Petroleum fuels are becoming scarce and more costly. Equally, important, however, are environmental considerations. The products of combustion of petroluem fuels pollute the atmosphere or require power consuming and complicated mechanism to reduce the objectionable products of combustion released to the atmosphere. Steam power plants tend to be large, heavy, and complex. Available steam plants also depend upon petroleum fuels as their primary heat source, and therefore are subject to the same polluting disadvantages as the internal combustion power plants.
It is desirable therefore to provide a small, light weight, high speed power unit of simple design and construction that employs nonpetroleum fuels, and which has products of combustion which do not pollute the atmosphere.